NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi led a protest of senior Congress leaders on the Parliament premises on Friday against the suspension of seven party MPs from the Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha suspended seven Congress members on Thursday for the remaining period of the Budget Session for "gross misconduct" and "utter disregard" for House rules after they snatched papers from the speaker's table.
As soon as the Lok Sabha reassembled at 3 pm following an adjournment, Meenakshi Lekhi, who was presiding the House, named Gaurav Gogoi, T N Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, Manicka Tagore, Rajmohan Unnithan, Benny Behanan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla.
Wearing black bands, Congress leaders including Gogoi and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue and alleged that the members were suspended from the House to scare the grand old party.
"But we will not be scared. We will not be scared to demand a discussion on the violence in Delhi, we will raise the issue continuously," Gogoi said as the Congress leaders raised slogans demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon on Friday as Opposition members disrupted the proceedings and raised slogans over the Delhi violence.
The proceedings lasted for less than two minutes when the House took up the Question Hour.
As soon as Lok Sabha assembled at 11 AM, some members of the Congress and other Opposition parties such as the DMK and the Indian Union Muslim League trooped into the well, raising slogans and holding placards demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Delhi violence.
Many members also wore black bands on their arms in protest.
On Thursday, seven Congress members were suspended for the rest of the ongoing Budget Session for unruly behaviour.
The Congress has been seeking discussion on the recent communal violence in northeast Delhi which claimed 53 lives and left over 200 injured.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was among those who sported black bands.
However, he did not join the members protesting in the well.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, was also in the Well.
He was seen picking up a book, apparently the rule book of Parliament, and showing it to the chair.
As the commotion continued, Kirit Solanki, who was presiding the proceedings, announced adjourning the House till 2 PM.
He later revised the adjournment time to 12 noon.